Westminster Administrators Conduct Year-End Student Celebration
A socially distanced year-end celebration for students took place at 12 p.m. on April 26 on the Hill. The event preceded a similar Zoom family meeting at 6 p.m. on April 27 sponsored by the Parents’ Association.
Along with a panel of key administrators, Interim President and Chief Transformation Officer Donald P. Lofe, Jr., addressed the student body, congratulating them for their hard work during the 2020-2021 Academic Year.
Those who spoke included Vice President and Dean of Student Life Dr. Kasi Lacey; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Dr. David Roebuck; Director of Athletics Matthew Mitchell; Dr. Paul Orscheln, Vice President of Enrollment Services, Marketing, and Strategic Communications; J.R. Andrews, Vice President for Institutional Advancement; and Dr. Steven Tyrell, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
Lacey thanked staff and faculty for their hard work throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 academic year and emphasized Lofe’s new leadership role as President and Chief Transformation Officer — an appointment announced by the Board of Trustees on April 6.
“I’m excited Don is our leader,” Lacey emphasized. “He’s here to listen to you and make your college a better place.”
The administrators encouraged students to seek all of them out with any questions or concerns.
Information shared by the group included optimistic plans for in-person fall classes, tentative plans for spring break during 2022, and a summary of the successful Blue Jays’ conference season. Seniors were encouraged to visit the Alumni Office upon graduation.
Westminster’s 25 percent increase in freshman enrollment last fall and similar enrollment statistics for Fall Semester 2021 were highlighted. Other information shared included information on the College’s long-term strategic planning efforts that currently are underway, a student survey that is due soon, and new majors that are under consideration by the College.
Students, faculty, and staff received free “We Did It!” t-shirts and enjoyed Kona Ice treats during the event, which preceded a campus clean-up day and lunch from the Big Cheeze food truck, which Campus Activities Board generously funded.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled Lorraine and I are to be here,” Lofe told the crowd gathered before the Columns, emphasizing that as an alumnus of the Class of 1979, his recent appointment as President and Chief Transformation Officer is important to him because of his love of his alma mater.
He added, “I am thrilled and honored [by the recent presidential appointment], and we are well-prepared to move into the fall.
